Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development for Southern Specialties Inc. in Pompano Beach, FL, told The Produce News in early December that the company hired Daryl Johnston to fill its newly created vice president of sales position.

"Daryl's responsibilities in the new position include creating strategies to drive profitable growth for our company, our customers and suppliers, and to provide input for new-product initiatives and maintain relationships with new and existing customers," said Mr. Eagle.

WASHINGTON — With the lame-duck session winding down, the House of Representatives passed food-safety legislation Dec. 8 attached to a must- pass federal government spending bill.

House Democrats had been scrambling to find a way to pass food-safety legislation to fix a procedural error discovered after the Nov. 30 Senate passing of S. 510, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act. The bill must now return to the Senate for another vote.

TAMPA, FL -- Florida growers breathed a collective sigh of relief as a third consecutive night of sub-freezing weather predicted for Dec. 8 and the early hours of Dec. 9 failed to materialize.

Overnight lows were originally forecast to plunge below freezing again in the early hours of Dec. 9, but instead dipped just to the low and mid-30s across central Florida and into the 40s and 50s in south Florida.

SALINAS, CA -- The sound of the auctioneer's gavel was music to the ears of some aspiring college students at the Florida Strawberry Growers Association's 28th annual Strawberry Jam awards banquet.

The event took place Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Red Rose Inn in Plant City, FL. The evening was dedicated to honoring Florida's best strawberry growers and presenting special scholarships to deserving students.

TAMPA, FL -- A hard freeze watch remained in effect for much of Florida through Thursday morning, Dec. 9, as the state's growers battled an unwelcome early arctic blast that shattered low-temperature records from Tampa Bay to Ft. Lauderdale.

Citrus and strawberries made it through two nights of sub-freezing weather in good shape, but vegetables and tomatoes are already showing signs of damage.

By the third week of December, Central American melons will be plentiful enough to have good promotional opportunities for retailers, according to Mike Shields, director of new business development for Central American Produce Inc. in Pompano Beach, FL.

Mr. Shields said that the Guatemalan melon crop that is beginning the season is "excellent, and everyone we have shipped to has had nothing but rave reviews."